Freedom's Call

A fresh start for new adventurers.

The personal Journal of Gaston Nitric
Journal Entry 1
My name is Gaston, something is changing in me. Perhaps writing will clear my head. All I have known has been inside these walls. I have brief memories of a culture that seems to flee from my mind daily. From what I can tell I do not belong here. I feel something pulling from inside me, these arcane powers exhaust me and drain my esteem. Every time the sorcerer-king sees my skill he leaves with a cackle.

Journal Entry 2
I had to kill someone today, he owed taxes to Hamanu and couldn’t pay. I was ordered to burn down his house, slaughter his animals, and use my acid to destroy his crops. As if that wasn’t enough the man was torn limb from limb and placed at the corners of town as a message not to disobey the great Hamanu of Urik. What bothers me the most is he does not ask other templars to do these horrible things, only me. Only me…

Journal Entry 3
Why am I the only one like me here? My past is a mystery, am I of noble blood? I have not won tournaments to gain this “honor” of templar. Am I a result of some sick scheme? I fear this more every day, something inside me craves change, this is all I have ever known, but something primal is brewing. I must ask more.

Journal Entry 4
I was able to sneak away from my rounds today. I met a historian in town. At first he was scared to talk, thinking I was there to make an example of him. I used my clout to get information from him. I told him I would not report his taxes if he could tell me more about myself. He said not today, give him time to send a raven to a friend of his, he can have more answers soon…

Journal Entry 5
It has been 7 days, how fast can that raven fly? I will try to seek him out tomorrow.

Journal Entry 6
Finally, I was able to find out some information. The man said that from the markings of my skin he could tell I was a Genasi, a Primal race formed from the earth. My people have lived in solitude for more generations than is known. Rumor has it that I was saved by Humanu. Saved, more like captured, like a dog. No wonder he has such great stake in my doings. I am supposed to preserve the world, and this sick mind has been feeding me my own flesh. I must go, rounds start at sunset.

Journal Entry 7
Tonight is the night, I make my attempt to scale these walls, I have purchased clothes that do not adorn these horrible yellows. I know this will be the first step in front of millions of me on the run from this awful place. If I am a dear prize of this tyrant I will not be let go easily. Hopefully I can find a companion to help aide my escape. It begins in three hours.

Journal Entry 8
Not much time to write but I am outside of the walls. I was able to hide in a water cart and stay submerged for long periods of time. I do not know where I am, but so far have not been recognized. I didn’t seem to travel far, hopefully I can get further away soon.

Backstory

Hamanu, the sorcerer-king of Urik, has received word that one of his prized possessions (Gaston) has been reported as a deserter. In an effort to reclaim his Templar, he has sent out a small party to bring Gaston back to Urik. Gaston’s fate back in Urik is known only to Hamanu and no Templars to date have ever tried leaving or wanted to leave of their own will.

While the thought of losing his templar fills his thoughts and fuels his rage Hamanu starts to experiment with portals to the Gray to take his mind off of things. Hamanu is so filled with pride in his Arcane abilities that he has became careless. Unbeknownst to Hamanu, he has released a Shade (Sable) from the Gray. Something that could be left to grow into a bigger problem for all of those who practice the Arcane. So far, Sable has remained undetected by sticking to the shadows. He has escaped Hamanu’s compound and his interest in this free willed Templar has been peaked as he eaves dropped on conversations around the palace. Sable knows that he had to become a shade out of desperation and cannot remember his former self thoroughly. However part of him has remained through the transformation to know that he is devoted to the primal forces of Athas. As he looks at the decimated Athas landscape for the first time, his memories of his hatred for the Arcane start to swell. He is curious though, to see why one who has trained in the Arcane (and thus the destruction of the land) has forsaken his high position in one of the greatest city-states in all of Athas.

Gaston finds that he has stumbled south of Urik into Silver Spring Oasis as he emerges from the water tank he was riding in. The sun is beginning to set and the the great walled square that is Silver Spring Oasis begins to flicker from the lanterns being lit from inside. Exotic songs can be heard traveling through the air for miles across the desert sands.

Between his long breaths during his departure from Urik, Gaston has noticed a dark figure lurking in the shadows behind the water cart. The entity approaches him filled with questions about why a Templar would leave his desirable position. The two cause a stir unaware that they have wandered l into the streets of Silver Spring Oasis. People in the streets are astonished at the appearance of the two beings. No one in Silver Spring has ever seen a Shade and few have ever seen the likes of Genasi. Whispers start to fill the air that the two are a bad omen and eventually they are confronted by Chief Toramund of the elven tribe that runs Silver Spring.

Toramund invites the two into his finest Tavern. Many words are exchanged in the discussion on why the two have arrived Silver Spring. Finally, Toramund gives the two an ultimatum in an effort to satisfy the onlookers and calm his small trade establishment. The two curious beings can either be forcibly removed with not as much as a thread of clothing on their back or they can look into the disappearance of a lost caravan that left 2 days ago in order to prove their intentions of not harming the town.

The two try to avoid both options but logic eventually takes over and they accept the quest to find the missing caravan. Before they leave, Toramund offers a token of his honesty and support by offering the two his newly acquired slave named Gauthak as protection. He is introduced as a gladiator from the great city state of Tyr and should prove to be resourceful in the undoubted battles to come if they are to survive the wilds of Athas.

The morning sun rises over the horizon and the party sets out east as if they were running from the blistering sun. They find wagon ruts and a dead body surrounded by Kestrekel. At the same time, a creature emerges from what appears to be the vegetation itself. The appearance of this creature is met with trepidation but it reassures the group that it means no harm to them. The creature goes by the name of Merceri. No more is said as the Kestrekel and wild Crodlu bear down on the four. The longer they wait, the more that Athas’ wildlife begins to appear. The struggle ends with the carcasses being burned to rid the smell of rotting flesh in the air. This provides the group a short period of protection from the dangers that lurk over the next dune. Closer inspection of the dead body reveals tattered pieces of yellow material. The tattered cloth is a sure sign of Urik soldiers or even worse Templar. Gaston comes clean about his escape to the two new members of the party. A curios doll is spotted by the Shade that goes by the name of Sable and Gaston too recognizes it as a symbol of his culture from his childhood. The doll comes alive in the hands of Gaston and takes the form of a Firesoul from his race. The group decides to follow the trail of footprints east for fear of losing the trail to the missing goods they are to find.

Another 6 hours east leads them to the wagon where it appears to be sacked by a group of Kruthik. The battle for the wagon is fierce and both Merceri and Gaston almost meet their end from the toxic spikes that the Adult Kruthik produces. The two return to consciousness near the end of the battle as the group triumphs over the Kruthik swarm. They take 3 hours to gather and organize the scattered remains of cargo around the area. Each adventure does their part and takes a different load of goods in their pack. The whereabouts of the drivers of the wagon are discovered with more tattered cloth and drag marks in the sand leading them to a hole in the ground. The adventurers debate on returning to Silver Spring Oasis with the cargo but relinquish that thought with the realization that the trail back here could be lost in an instant. And so the adventure continues…

Several days have passed since my last entry. Much has changed and I have been engaged in an adventure with 3 other strange beings I have not encountered before. My quest has led me out of a safe place into a quest to recover a caravan and 2 slaves. After hours of travel we came acrossed a bloodied body covered in ravenous birds. Once they were taken care of the body was picked clean of flesh but there was a scrap of a notorious yellow fabric in the sand. An odd stone doll was lodged in the sand and as I picked it up it came to life and glowed like fire, it also started pulling me in a direction. As the adventurers followed we came across the broke down caravan. Much was lost and only a few supplies were salvaged. Foot prints lead us to an underground layer where things got really interesting. Down below the doll grew stronger, pulling me to the darkest portion of the cave. Inside we battled an adult silk worm that nearly cost me and other companions our lives. During the battle we were able to release another Genesi from the webs and she fought by ours ide till she collapsed from the poison. The trek home was 8 hours in length. We had to constantly stabilize this genesi which proved to be very difficult, I was only able to help with some techniques I learned in the streets to stabilize her pain for a short while. My other companions were more successful and we made it back to town in one piece. We found some items and need to find out the properties of them, perhaps they can aide us in battle. For now I seek out answers to who this lady is and if she can help me find my connection back to my race. Perhaps these seeds from a tree of life I have in my possession will bridge that gap as well….

Previously in the Freedom’s Call campaign:

• The heroes defeated the Silk Wyrm and found the Gensai Girl named Ayaras Sunfire. Her thoughts were focused on the name Isann as if she desperately needed to get him the note. With her they found a note, a pack of seeds, a hammer, and arrows.

• The trek back to Silver Spring was perilous and they almost completely failed “Bringing the Girl Back Alive”. Ayaras was required to make death saving throws and arrived back in Silver Spring one saving throw away from death.

• The heroes decided to give the girl over intimidating the Gate Guard into giving them free health services for the girl.

• Once she was in the hands of the Druid and Shaman of the Silver Hand, Gaston set out to find out what kinds of seeds he was carrying. He caused quite a commotion shaking down the merchant for information in a drunken rage. He was able to gather that the seeds are that of the Tree of Life. The merchant was scared by the drunk genasi so he yelled helplessly for guards. Fortunately for Gaston the situation was diffused peacefully.

• After Gaston’s encounter, The party joined together to see if they could find out the properties of the weapons they found in the wyrm’s lair. They met up with Marlo Eisenwald, a shrewd merchant, who is the only magic arms dealer in Silver Spring. Both Guathak and Sable flex their charismatic strength receiving a temporary 50% discount on item identification. (Normally 10gb now 5gb)

• The people in the streets start to gawk at Merceri who has never been seen in civilization before. The party notices that he is starting to cause a stir and drape him in the white cloak they found. Unfortunately for the group, guards have surrounded the party at spear point on all sides. The common-folk light up the darkening merchant square with lanterns as the sun begins to set. Smooth move players…

Time elapsed:

8 hour extended rest in the secured wyrm lairMorning
8 hours traveling back to Silver Spring Oasis
2 hours in the merchants Quarter.
it is now Dusk